1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal personal emergency medical information retrieval system and more particularly to a system wherein personal and medical information is written onto a passive, non-rewriteable radio frequency identification (RFID) tag using an RFID writer. It is to such a system that the present invention is primarily directed.
2. Description of Related Art
Emergency medical personnel are often confronted with a situation in which they need critical medical information about a patient, but are unable to obtain the information in a timely manner. This can be because the patient is unconscious, altered, does not speak the local language, or simply does not possess the information. Relevant medical information can include, among other things, blood type, Rh factor, current or past illnesses, current medications, allergies, and surgical history. Lack of information can result in suboptimal, delayed, or even deleterious treatment.
First responders, for example, often arrive on scene only to find one or more persons unconscious or badly injured. This can be as a result of, for example, a traffic accident, shooting, or natural disaster. First responders can need to give blood products to those with blood loss, and antibiotics or pain medication to those with injuries. Any of these treatments can be required simply to enable the injured party to survive transportation to the hospital. To any given patient, however, any or all of these treatments, if improperly administered, can be life threatening.
Another common scenario is that of children who are brought into the emergency room by a teacher, babysitter, or non-custodial parent. In this situation, neither the teacher nor the child may have the relevant medical information. If emergency personnel cannot reach the child's custodial parent or pediatrician in a timely manner, this can likewise cause improper or delayed treatment.
Elderly patients, patients with multiple medical conditions, or patients with diseases that are simply difficult to treat can be prescribed multiple medications. One example is the complex drug cocktail required to maintain low virus levels in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”). When multiple drugs are used, the patient may not be able to remember all the drugs they take, much less possible drug interactions created thereby. This can create a situation in which medical personnel cannot effectively administer new drugs to the patient for fear of dangerous drug interactions with the patient's current regimen.
Patients are frequently forced to go to the hospital while traveling in foreign countries. This can be due to the local water or food conditions or merely due to happenstance. Additionally, many people never learn the native language for the country in which they live (e.g., immigrants or military personnel). Hospitals often have interpreters to cope with this situation, but cannot have an interpreter for every language they encounter, nor are interpreters generally available in ambulances or at the scene. Additionally, finding the interpreter needed and interpreting the patient's needs takes additional time. This can create a situation in which medical treatment is delayed due to a language barrier.
Patients in need of medical attention are often unconscious or altered due to, for example, injury, heart attack, stroke, drugs, alcohol, blood loss, low blood pressure, undiagnosed or untreated mental condition, low blood sugar, or dehydration. If the injured person has significant blood loss, for example, it can be necessary to give the person blood products in the field. Providing incorrectly matched blood, whether related to type, antibodies, or other factors, can result in illness and death due to, among other things, febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions, acute hemolytic reaction, or anaphylaxis. The use of O-negative blood can mitigate some, but not all, of the risks associated with blood transfusions. Properly matched blood type and antigens provide the best solution when blood transfusion is necessary.
Advancements in pharmacology have improved the length and quality of life for many. The resulting increase in the number of people using prescription and non-prescription drugs, however, can lead to a concomitant increase in dangerous drug allergies and drug interactions. Drug allergies can lead to, among other things, anaphylaxis, a severe whole body allergic reaction, that can be fatal in a matter of minutes if left untreated. Combining more than one drug, even over-the-counter drugs, can also cause severe, sometimes fatal, drug interactions. Combining Cialis®, a common erectile dysfunction drug, with nitrates, used to treat chest pain, for example, can cause abnormally low, even fatal, hypotension (low blood pressure).
Quick and accurate treatment can often spell the difference between a full recovery and lengthy hospital stays, permanent disability, or death. Proper treatment is desirable, not only for the obvious reason, i.e., the health of the patient, but also for the healthcare system as a whole. Improper treatment can result in complications that worsen patient outcome, increase length of hospital stay, and/or increase treatment and drug costs. This can increase the costs associated with the primary hospital visit and can also create, or increase, costs associated with, among other things, follow-up, and physical therapy.
Additionally, improper treatment can result in an increased number of malpractice and/or wrongful death suits against healthcare providers. The costs associated with higher malpractice insurance premiums and litigation are simply built into pricing and passed along to the end patient by healthcare and pharmaceutical providers. Ultimately, therefore, improper treatment results in an increase in treatment costs, medications costs, and costs associated with health insurance.
Systems currently in place to provide healthcare providers with critical medical information would best be described as primitive. Medic Alert® bracelets, for example, are very limited in the amount of information they can provide simply due to the space limitations of the bracelet. So, for example, the bracelet can simply provide “diabetes” as the medical condition, and include the patient's id number and a phone number to call for more information. Providers must then dial the number on the bracelet to obtain additional medical information, which can cause critical delays in treatment. Additionally, many patients do not wear the bracelets for, among other things, fashion reasons, medical reasons, or simply because they forget to wear it from time to time. Provided the patient wears the bracelet, the medical information contained thereon is usually too limited to assist in effective treatment.
Patients with more serious or extensive medical problems may elect to carry more complete personal medical records with them. However, the methods for doing so are extremely fragmented. The methods can include, but are not limited to, carrying their medical file in their pocket or handbag, carrying cards in their wallets with some of their medical information printed on them (available space on the card can be a limiting factor), a computer memory storage device such as a USB memory stick, smart card, or bar code with medical records saved thereon, or even an ID card or insurance card listing a website or phone number with which the treating healthcare provider can retrieve the patients medical information.
Alternatively sometimes patients will be with a friend or family member who can supply important medical information to the treating health care provider. This information is often incomplete or inaccurate, however, and can be of limited help. In many situations, incomplete or inaccurate information is relied upon to the patient's detriment.
The lack of uniformity, combined with time constraints often present in medical emergencies, often leads to this information remaining undiscovered. This can be because the emergency medical personnel do not know the patient has this information, in what form they have the information, or because they simply never find the information. Further, the medical provider can be required to have multiple readers to access disparate types of media storage devices, i.e. smart cards, USB keys, and bar codes. Alternatively, if an emergency patient has a card with a website or a phone number, the medical provider must then access an internet connection or phone to obtain the medical file, which can also cause delays.
What is needed therefore is a system that uses a single medical record storage device that enables medical personnel to have a single reader to access a patient's medical information. The system should be easy to implement and cost effective. The system should preferably be incorporated into an item that the patient already carries. The system should provide critical medical information to medical personnel using a simple and cost effective reader. It is to such a device that embodiments of the present invention are directed.